Marine corer with valve



Feb. 24, 1970 W. S. SHULTZ ET AL MARINE CORER WITH VALVE Filed Oct. 9, 1968 {NVENTORE W/Lz/AM a? 9/0472 United States Patent 3,497,018 MARINE CORER WITH VALVE William S. Shultz, Cataumet, and George W. Gibson, East Falmouth, Mass., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,054 Int. Cl. E21b 7/12, 41/00; E21c 19/00 US. Cl. 1756 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates generally to marine coring devices and, more particularly, to a simple and inexpensive corer which may "be operated by the mechanical manipulators carried by deep-diving submersibles.

The need has recently arisen for coring devices which can be operated by the mechanical arms of deep submersible vehicles. Available coring devices are generally too complicated and cumbersome for this purpose. Moreover, their mode of operation is not compatible with the some what limited movements available with such mechanical manipulators.

Another shortcoming of some of the prior art coring devices is their tendency to lose sandy or soft sediment when the apparatus is withdrawn from the ocean bottom. Also, there is the possibility of some of the sample being washed out or otherwise lost if the corer is kept within the ocean for any extended period of time.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive sediment corer which may be readily utilized with mechanical manipulators.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sediment corer which will retain loose samples after extraction from the ocean bottom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sediment corer which can be conveniently stored outside a deep submersible vehicle for extended periods of time without loss of any of the sample material.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the coring apparatus of the present invention as it is being introduced into the ocean bottom; and

FIG. 2 illustrates the corer in its stowage position.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that the sediment corer of the present invention includes a conventional coring tube 1 having a valve 2 mounted at one end thereof. This valve, which has a main body portion 4 that completely closes this end of the coring tube, is held in place by appropriate screws 11 suitably spaced around the circumference of the tube.

The control element of valve 2 is a T-shaped handle 3 which terminates at its lower end in .a circular closure plate 6 having a rubber sealing disk 7 affixed to its upper surface. Mounted on the stem portion of handle 3 is a circular plate 8, and interposed between this plate and the top of valve body 4 is a helical spring 10. This spring normally forces handle 3 upwardly, maintaining closure plate 6 in contact with the bottom surface of valve body 4. In this condition, disk 7 blocks a series of axial pas sageways 5 formed in the valve body 4 and, in effect, keeps valve 2 in its closed condition. Extending from the bottom of plate 8 at several different angular locations are a plurality of drive pins, such as 9, which enter a similar plurality of aligned apertures formed in the top of valve body 4. These pins serve as a torque transmitter and allow the coring apparatus to be turned as it is forced into the sediment layer.

In the operation of the apparatus, the T-shaped handle is grasped by the jaws of the mechanical manipulator. When the corer encounters the sediment and experiences a resistance to downward movement, the force applied to handle 3 causes this handle to move downwardly with respect to the corer and spring 10 is compressed. Closure plate 6 moves out of blocking engagement with passageways 5 to the position shown in FIG. 1. Valve 2 is now in an open condition. As the corer is further forced into the sediment layer, the seawater 21 in its interior, which is being displaced by the sediment sample 20, passes out through apertures 5 into the surrounding ocean. During the sampling operation, pins 9, as mentioned hereinbefore, allow the coring apparatus to be rotated as it moves deeper and deeper into the sediment layer.

When the apparatus has obtained a satisfactory sample, or, as soon as there is no longer a downward force applied to handle 3, coil spring 8 returns this handle to its normal position, as shown in FIG. 2. Now, the passageways 5 of valve 2 are all closed and sealed by the rubber disk 7 mounted on closure plate 6 and there is no further flow of fluid between the interior of the corer and the surrounding fluid medium. Any tendency now for the core sample to fall out of the open end of the coring tube is resisted by the partial vacuum which forms above the sample. Hence, little, if no, loss of sediment occurs as the complete apparatus is moved to its storage location.

FIG. 2 shows the corer in this stored condition. As will be seen, the storage apparatus consists of a sheath 30 which is afiixed to a shelf 34 projecting outwardly from the submersible vehicle at a location in sight of the operator. Sheath 30 has a flared entrance portion 35 for facilitating the insertion of the corer. Its interior diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of coring tube 1, so that the corer can drop freely within sheath 30 when released by the mechanical attachment. Secured near the bottom of sheath 30 is an end plate 31, and resting on the top of this plate is a stopper 32 temporarily locked to it by a suitable fastening bolt 33. The dimensions of stopper 32 are such that when the core device is lowered to its storage position, plug 32 enters the lower end thereof and eflectively seals it. Thus, the interior of the corer with the sediment sample accommodated therein is completely isolated from the surrounding fluid medium, and no loss or diminution of the sample occurs while the submersible vessel carries on further exploration or curing work. When the time comes to remove the corer from its sheath, it is only necessary to disconnect plug 32 from end plate 31. This is done by simply unscrewing retaining device 33. Thereafter, the corer with the sample therein and with pro tecting plug 32 in place may be withdrawn from sheath 30 It would be appreciated that the coring tube itself may be made of plastic or metal or in the form of a metal tube with a removable plastic liner. In order to permit the valve assembly to be readily disconnected from the coring tube, the screws shown may be replaced by a suitable circumferential clamping device.

While the coring device hereinbefore described is designed primarily for use with mechanical arms, it may, of course, be used by free divers in comparably shallow water. Also, it may be used from surface ships by simply attaching suitable weights to the valve mechanism to duplicate the action of the mechanical manipulator.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A coring device comprising, in combination,

a coring tube;

a fluid control valve mounted in one end of said tube,

said valve including a closure member which permits fluid flow between the interior of said tube and the adjacent environment when it is in a lower position and prevents such a flow when it is in an upper position;

spring bias means normally maintaining said closure member in said upper position; and

a handle connected to said closure member,

said handle being capable of vertical movement for positioning said closure member in its lower position,

said handle also serving as the means for forcing said coring tube into a sediment layer.

2. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1,

means for permitting said coring tube to be rotated from said handle when said handle has been moved vertically whereby said coring tube may be turned as it is forced into a sediment layer.

3. A marine corer for use with a mechanical manipulator, comprising a length of tubing; a normally closed fluid control valve mounted in one end of said tubing,

said valve having as its operating member a T- shaped handle which may be moved vertically to a lower position to open said valve; and means for permitting said length of tubing to be turned by said T-shaped handle when said T-shaped handle is in said lower position. 4. In an arrangement as defined in claim 3 wherein said last-mentioned means includes a collar secured to said T-shaped handle; and a plurality of pins projected downwardly from said collar into a like plurality of passageways formed in an upper portion of said valve. 5. In an arrangement as defined in claim 3 wherein said T-shaped handle is normally spring biased to an upper position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,454 10/1875 Coman 175-318 X 1,659,826 2/1928 Malloy et a1. 175-218 1 1,807,837 6/1931 Fortune 175317 2,176,477 10/1939 Varney et a1. 175-6 3,326,049 6/1967 Eley 73425.2 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,236,242 3/ 1967 Germany.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner I. A. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

